Connector for a Modular Storage Assembly

ABSTRACT

A modular storage assembly includes a plurality of connectors and a plurality of panels joined together by the plurality of connectors as to define a compartment. Each of the plurality of connectors includes a body having a plurality of first slots and a plurality of second slots. Two blocks are releasably mounted in one of the plurality of the second slots of the two connectors respectively. A door is pivotally connected with two blocks as to close the opening of the compartment and whereby the door is releasably mounted to the modular storage assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a modular storage assembly, inparticular, to a modular storage assembly with compartments and each ofwhich has a releasably installed pivotal door.

2. Description of the Related Art

Referring to U.S. Pat. No. 6,669,036, a modular storage assemblyincludes a plurality of walls and connectors holding the plurality ofwalls in a way to form a plurality of compartments, with each of theplurality of compartments defines an opening for allowing admission ofan article inside the compartment. Unfortunately, the open compartmentcan not protect the stored article inside from publicity. In addition,the stored article is easily covered by dust in atmosphere.

Referring to TW Pat. No. M318957, a modular storage assembly includes adoor panel for closing a compartment defined thereof is adapted toresolve the problems. However, it is somewhat inconvenient if doorpanels were disassembled from the associated compartments. For instance,user has to dismount a pivotal connection of the door panel with aconnector and then dismount another pivotal connection of the door panelwith another connector. Further, if the door panel for the compartmentwhich has other compartments formed above, user then has to involve indisassembling the above positioned compartments in order to take downthe door panel, thus result in a very laborious procedure.

The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at leastalleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, a modular storage assembly includesa plurality of connectors and a plurality of panels joined together bythe plurality of connectors as to define a compartment. Each of theplurality of connectors includes a body having a plurality of firstslots and a plurality of second slots. Each of the plurality of firstslots is utilized to receive one of the plurality of panels. Further,two blocks are releasably mounted in one of the plurality of the secondslots of the two connectors respectively. A door is pivotally connectedwith two blocks as to close the opening of the compartment and wherebythe door is releasably mounted to the modular storage assembly.Additionally, the modular storage assembly is adapted to be built with aplurality of compartments.

The primary objective of the modular storage assembly according to thepresent invention is that user could uninstall the door from the modularstorage assembly by just taking the blocks out of the second slots andwithout involving in uninstalling of the connectors.

Another objective of the present invention is that assembly anddisassembly of the door is convenient and simple.

A further objective of the present invention is that arrangement offirst and second slots prevents interference of the door with theassociated panels.

A further objective of the present invention is that the connectorswould not interfere pivotal motions of the door.

Other advantages and features of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following description referring to the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described through detailed illustration ofthe preferred embodiment referring to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a modular storage assembly in accordancewith the present invention assembled to form a compartment.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the modular storage assemblyshown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a partial, enlarged view of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a partial, enlarged view of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is another perspective view of the modular storage assembly,showing a door installed is open.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the modular storage assembly assembledto form a plurality of compartments.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of thepresent invention, showing a different door installed thereto.

FIG. 9 is a partial, enlarged view of the FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 7, a modular storage assembly in accordancewith the present invention includes a plurality of connectors 20 and aplurality of panels 10 joined together by the plurality of connectors 20as to define a compartment 50 and an opening 51 for admission of anarticle to the compartment 50.

Each of the panels 10 includes a frame 11 which has a structure withuniform thickness and confines an empty space. Further, a sheet 12 isattached to the frame 11 to cover the empty space, however, corners 13of the frame 11 are not covered by the sheet 12. It is understood thateach corner is defined at a junction of two peripheral sides of theframe 11.

Each of the connectors 20 includes a body having a first surface 21 anda second surface 24 parallel to one another, and the first and secondsurfaces 21 and 24 have dimensions substantially equal to one another.In addition, a plurality of first slots 22 are formed thereon and eachfirst slot 22 is formed between two walls extending transverse to thesecond surface 24. In this preferred embodiment, the plurality of firstslots 23 are utilized to receive the plurality of the panels 10,respectively. Particularly, one of the corners 13 of the associatedpanel 10 is received in one of the plurality of first slots 22. Further,a plurality of second slots 23 are formed thereon between the first andsecond surfaces 21 and 24, which will be described further hereinafter.

The modular storage assembly further includes a door 40 pivotallyconnected with two connectors 20 as to close the opening 51 of thecompartment 50. Specifically, two blocks 30 are releasably mounted inone of the plurality of the second slots 23 of the two connectors 20,respectively; and the door 40 has two axially opposite pivotal ends 41formed along an edge of the door 40 and pivotally received in two blocks30 respectively. Preferably, each of the two blocks 30 has a cavity 33defined in a front side in which one of the pivotal ends 41 is receivedso that the door 40 and the blocks 30 are prevented from detachment. Inaddition, because the blocks are releasably mounted to the connectors 20and the door 40 is pivotally connected to the blocks 30, the door 40 isthus releasably mounted to the modular storage assembly. In this regard,user could uninstall the door 40 from the modular storage assembly byjust taking the blocks 30 out of the second slots 23 and withoutinvolving in uninstalling of the connectors 20.

FIG. 3 also shows a first holding portion 221 is formed on an innerperipheral surface of each first slot 22 of each connector 20 to affordsecure attachment with the panel 10; a second holding portion 231 isformed on an inner peripheral surface of each second slot 23 of eachconnector 20 to afford secure attachment with the block 30. In addition,the first holding portion 221 includes a plurality of ridges havingequal heights extended from the inner peripheral surface of each firstslot 22. Likewise, the second holding portion 231 includes a pluralityof ridges having equal heights extended from the inner peripheralsurface of each second slot 23. Also, the block 30 has two lateral sides31 which are parallel to one another and have dimensions equal to oneanother, and each second slot 23 has sides substantially equal to thelateral sides 31 of the block 30.

As also shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the door 40 has corners 42 marginallyspaced from the connectors 20 so that the connectors 20 would notinterfere pivotal motion of the door 40. Additionally, the door 40 has athrough hole formed thereon to assist user to conveniently open/closeit. It is understood that a handle is also within the scope of thepresent invention.

FIG. 7 shows the modular storage assembly is built to include aplurality of compartments 50. It also shows that some doors 40 areinstalled to allow user to open them clockwise whereas some doors areinstalled to allow user to open them counterclockwise.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show an alternative an alternative embodiment of thepresent invention, showing a different door 60 installed thereto. Thedoor differentiate from the door 40 in that the door 40 has a wire framewhich has a structure with uniform thickness and confines an empty spaceand a sheet is formed on the frame to cover the empty space, whereas thedoor 60 is a solid wall.

In light of the forgoing, the modular storage assembly according to thepresent invention exhibits several advantages. Firstly, user coulduninstall the door 40 and 60 from the modular storage assembly by justtaking the blocks 30 out of the second slots 23 and without involving inuninstalling of the connectors 20.

Secondly, assembly and disassembly of the door 40 and 60 is convenientand simple.

Thirdly, arrangement of first and second slots 22 and 23 preventsinterference of the door 40 and 60 with the associated panels 10.

Fourthly, the connectors 20 would not interfere pivotal motions of thedoor 40 and 60.

The present invention has been described via the detailed illustrationof the preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art can derivevariations from the preferred embodiment without departing from thescope of the present invention. Therefore, the preferred embodimentshall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in theclaims.

1. A connector for a modular storage assembly having a plurality ofpanels which are arranged to define a compartment and of which anopening is formed for admission of an article to the compartment, and adoor which are utilized to close the opening of the compartmentcomprising: a body having a plurality of first slots, with each of theplurality of slots receiving a corner of one of the plurality of panels,wherein the corner is defined at a junction of two peripheral sidesthereof, and a plurality of second slots; and a block releasably mountedin one of the plurality of second slots and pivotally receiving the doorand whereby the door is releasably mounted to the modular storageassembly.
 2. The connector according to claim 1 wherein each of theplurality of first slots comprises an inner peripheral surface having afirst holding portion formed thereon for securely holding the panelengaged.
 3. The connector according to claim 2 wherein each of theplurality of second slots comprises an inner peripheral surface having asecond holding portion formed thereon for securely holding the block. 4.The connector according to claim 2 wherein the first holding portioncomprises a plurality of ridges.
 5. The connector according to claim 3wherein the second holding portion comprises a plurality of ridges. 6.The connector according to claim 1 wherein the body comprises a firstsurface and a second surface parallel to the first surface, the firstsurface has a dimension and the second surface has a dimensionsubstantially equals to the dimension of the first surface, and whereinthe plurality of second slots are formed between the first and secondsurfaces.
 7. The connector according to claim 6 wherein each of theplurality of first slots is formed between two walls extendingtransverse to the second surface.
 8. The connector according to claim 6wherein the block has two lateral sides which are parallel to oneanother and have dimensions equal to one another, and wherein each ofthe plurality of second slots has sides substantially equal to thelateral sides.
 9. A modular storage assembly comprising: a plurality ofconnectors and each including a body having a plurality of first slots,each of the plurality of first slots receiving a corner of one of theplurality of panels, wherein the corner is defined at a junction of twoperipheral sides thereof, and a plurality of second slots; a pluralityof panels joined together by the plurality of connectors and defining acompartment with an opening for admission of an article to thecompartment; two blocks releasably mounted in the two connectorsrespectively; and a door pivotally connected with two blocks as to closethe opening of the compartment and whereby the door is releasablymounted to the modular storage assembly.
 10. The modular storageassembly according to claim 9 wherein each of the plurality of firstslots comprises an inner peripheral surface having a first holdingportion formed thereon for securely holding the panel engaged.
 11. Themodular storage assembly according to claim 10 wherein each of theplurality of second slots comprises an inner peripheral surface having asecond holding portion formed thereon for securely holding the block.12. The modular storage assembly according to claim 10 wherein the firstholding portion comprises a plurality of ridges.
 13. The modular storageassembly according to claim 11 wherein the second holding portioncomprises a plurality of ridges.
 14. The modular storage assemblyaccording to claim 9 wherein the body comprises a first surface and asecond surface parallel to the first surface, the first surface has adimension and the second surface has a dimension substantially equals tothe dimension of the first surface, and wherein the plurality of secondslots are formed between the first and second surfaces.
 15. The modularstorage assembly according to claim 14 wherein each of the plurality offirst slots is formed between two walls extending transverse to thesecond surface.
 16. The modular storage assembly according to claim 14wherein the block has two lateral sides which are parallel to oneanother and have dimensions equal to one another, and wherein each ofthe plurality of second slots has sides substantially equal to thelateral sides.
 17. The modular storage assembly according to claim 9wherein the door includes two axially opposite pivotal ends along anedge thereof, and the two pivotal ends are pivotally received in the twoblocks respectively.